- FM Araghchi thanks Riyadh for attitude against Israeli attacks.
- The Iranian minister also meets Saudi foreigner, defense ministers.
- Both sides discuss bilateral connections, regional developments.
Riyadh: Iran’s Foreign Minister has held conversations with Saudi -Arabia’s de facto leader two weeks after a ceasefire between regional rivals, Iran and Israel began.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said his country hoped that the ceasefire would contribute to regional stability and emphasized Riyadh’s position “in supporting dialogue through diplomatic means as a way to resolve disputes,” the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a post of X early Wednesday.
According to the Saudi ministry, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi expressed “his gratitude” to Riyadh for his condemnation of Israel’s attack on Iran last month.
Israel launched its unprecedented bomb campaign on Iran on June 13, targeting military and nuclear facilities as well as residential areas.
The Israeli strikes killed more than 1,000 people, including senior military commanders and nuclear scientists, according to Tehran.
Israel, in turn, was hit by waves by drone and missile fire from Iran, as Israeli authorities said at least 28 people had died.
The United States, who had been in conversations with Iran about his nuclear program since April, conducted its own strikes on Iran on June 22, targeting several nuclear places.
Negotiations between Tehran and Washington have since stopped, but the truce between Iran and Israel has been in place since June 24.
Iran and Saudi Arabia have often been on opposite aspects of regional conflicts, including in Syria and Yemen.
The two regional heavyweight bread of diplomatic relations in 2016, before restoring them in 2023 under an approximate agreement broken by China.
It was a diplomatic performance for MBS, which has taken a more conciliation approach to regional diplomacy in recent years.
Saudi Arabia condemned the Israeli strikes on Iran last month and called them “aggressions” and a “clear violation of international laws”.
Riyad also expressed his “major concern” after the US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Araghchi held “fertile conversations” with Prince Mohammed, as well as FM Prince Faisal Bin Farhan and Defense Minister Prince Khaled bin Salman about bilateral connections and developments in the region.
